Philip Merrill College of Journalism | University of Maryland

Utopia Film Festival Selects 3 Films by Maryland Students

For immediate release, Oct. 23, 2006

COLLEGE PARK, Md.— Three films by students of the Philip Merrill College of Journalism and the University of Maryland have been selected to be shown during this year’s Utopia Film Festival in Greenbelt, Md., running Oct. 27-29.

These documentary films were created under the supervision of Philip Merrill College of Journalism Professor Lee Thornton, a former CBS News White House correspondent and CNN producer.

“Documentary has a long and illustrious history and was, of course, of great importance in the early history of television news,” said Thornton, the Richard Eaton Chair in Broadcast Journalism at the Merrill College. “After a period of latency, this form is very much on the rise, including theatrical releases, on cable and public television and, in shorter forms, on the Internet.”

The three films selected include:

"The Pen" by Homeyra Mokhtarzada (journalism MA ’01 and BA ’96) about the Baltimore Penitentiary, the nation's oldest operating prison. Homeya had access to all of the prison's records for her film, a historical documentary that followed the prison from its first inmate, a man called "Negro Bob," to the present day. The film featured the voices of five separate narrators who personified some major characters in the prison's history. Previously, the film received both the Telly and ICA awards.

"Greenbelt" by Adrienne Felton (journalism MA ’01) about the town of Greenbelt, Md., one of three green cities established during the administration of Franklin Delano Roosevelt. The historical documentary draws heavily on archival footage of the town in its early years, and on stories from some of its original inhabitants. Previously, this film also received both a Telly and an ICA award.

"Urban Reality: Three Stories of Gentrification," by Berry Blanton (communication BA ’01) The film was done as an independent study project directed by Dr. Leah Waks in the Department of Communication and Dr. Lee Thornton in the Merrill College. It is about Washington's Shaw neighborhood and how Shaw residents first resist gentrification, then fight for the best kind of change possible. The film was co-produced by Gabe Cohen and Matthew Zuckerman.

Screenings will take place at the Roosevelt Center, home of the P&G Old Greenbelt Theater. "Urban Reality" and "The Pen" will air in the 8-10 p.m. time slot Saturday in the Municipal Building. "Greenbelt" will screen Sunday in the 2-4 p.m. time slot, also in the Municipal Building. More information on the festival can be found at http://www.utopiafilmfestival.org.

For more information contact: Matthew C. Sheehan at 301.405.8320.